


A crack in the shell

by AzureRegulus



Series: Beginning of the new Apocrypha [2]
Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:35:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureRegulus/pseuds/AzureRegulus
Summary: Awakened from his dream, Crio finds himself unable to remember.Something he began to suffer from a lot more often. But he has not time to dwelve on that, not when the Emiya household is once more full with visitors.From a teasing Rider to an Archer that gets on his nerves. Yet those interactions just show how much he changed.
Series: Beginning of the new Apocrypha [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1902436





	A crack in the shell

Washing his face with a splash of water, Crio wiped the few lose strands that covered stuck out in all directions back to his characteristic white mane. When he blinked at his own reflection, wiping the few sand corns out, he sighed, stretching his arms to the sky. ‘What was I even dreaming about last night?’. The thought of just returning to bed was tempting, but if the gorgon reappears, who knows what she might try to get him up this time.

A white dress shirt, opened a bit to show the necklace with a cross attached to it, and blue jeans, Crio made his way to the living room.

And his nose twitched reflexively at a wonderful smell.

And in accordance, he heard many voices.

“That smells wonderful, Shirou! What are you making?”.

“I am making sandwiches today, Saber.”.

“Then we came just at the right time. Right, Archer?”.

“I am just following along.”.

“Then I hope it stays that way. Every time you are here, you have to nag about my cooking. Either that or you pick a fight with Crio.”.

“Pfe.”.

“Say, Rider, have you woken Crio up already?”.

“I did, Sakura. He might be standing in front of the Dojo now. I told him Saber was there. I’ll get him.”.

“No, allow me. You already woke him up and it is my fault because we spar every two days.”.

The sliding door opened, revealing a petite young woman of European origin. Hair as golden as the sun. Bright eyes, once so focused on correcting the past, now full of life in the most beautiful shade of green. Wearing her trademark outfit, a white blouse, royal blue skirt and black stockings underneath.

The second she did, she nearly rushed straight into Crio’s chest, her adorable yelp amusing the man in front of her. Gazing up, she was met with his smile, responding with one of her own. “Good morning, Crio.”, she greeted, taking a step aside so he could walk in. “Morning, Saber. Oh? The entire group is here? Morning everyone.”, Crio swiftly noticed the number of smile and waves he got.

Stopping at the annoyed gaze of another white-haired male.

The minute he took seat right across of him, the temperature seemed to drop below freezing temperature.

Pouring himself some tea, Crio’s sapphire eyes and the brown ones of Archer met with cold indifference.

“Crio.”.

“Archer.”.

Medusa sighed as she observed both males turn their gazes away from another. “Really? It has been a few weeks now. You two still cannot get along?”. “I don’t think you have any right in this, Rider.”, Archer retaliated to the question coolly. One sharp gaze at her, one open eye, he remembered a certain moment. “Didn’t you and Caster get into a fight just a few days after the holy grail war was over?”. “Coming from the one that, literally, tried to kill himself.”, Crio muttered under his breath, striking a nerve. The second he got a dark look of Archer, the smuggest expression came upon Crio’s face, taking sip of his tea in victory. Sighing at the battle that was about to erupt, Shirou turned his head away for a second from the frying pan. “Seriously. Don’t fight in here every time.”.

“We are not fighting.”.

“We are not fighting.”.

Both reactions came out frame perfect, which made the glare at the other afterwards even more amusing, as well as terrifying when the air grew colder once more. Rin couldn’t contain her laughter stabbing into her side to finally be released, while Sakura only awkwardly smiled.

The girl with the lavender hair and red ribbon. A sweet girl that suffered more than one imagined.

Pulling on Medusa’s sleeve, Crio gestured to come a bit closer, whispering into her hear. “Is Sakura’s body doing alright?”, he asked in worry. Medusa nodded, returning quietly: “It is doing fine. It is getting used to live without the crest worms.”.

“If you need time alone, you should have stayed in Crio’s room.”.

That minute Archer chuckled in silent victory at Crio’s reddening face, blue eyes squinted with a scowl and a ‘malaka’ hissed from between bared teeth.

Instead of letting him reply to Archer’s verbal punch, Medusa wrapped an arm around Crio’s waist with a playful look. “What. Are you jealous that Crio is getting attention from both me and Medea, Archer?”, her deep voice cut between the glares, only getting Crio to blush and Archer rising an eyebrow.

“Ftani, Medusa. This is getting awkward.”, Crio begged with a hand on his face to not allow the others to see the red. Not that it really helped. The crack in his fingers was enough to gaze through and they knew that Medusa loved to tease the Greek.

Not that anything would stop her. It was her favorite pass-time since their first meeting, where he was so startled about her being the gorgon yet was a woman barely imaginable beauty.

But she got her due every time she hit her head and he’d get a good laugh out of it.

With breakfast done and stomachs full, Crio helped Shirou with the dishwashing.

“You really don’t have to help me Crio.”.

“If you offer accommodation, I can at least help a bit with the housework.”, the large man answered with a small smirk. Out of the corner of his eyes he gazed back at the group gazing into the tv. “Not like a few other people I know. But as much as I know you, you don’t mind either way.”. The smile on Shirou’s face showed with a sigh how right he was. Aside from Saber and Sakura, most of the people came here either because they had nothing to do.

“Oh, you are going, Rider?”.

“Yes. My shift is beginning soon.”.

Grabbing her belongings, Medusa wandered to the door, stopping to send Crio a look he felt searing into his neck. A small sigh came from between his lips. “Yes, I will visit Medea later.”. The smirk on her face, so full of victory over the dominated half god, send shivers down his spine. “Bravo. I’ll see you all later, Sakura, Saber, Shirou. And you behave…’agapi mou’.”. “Stamata, re! (Stop it!).”, came the growl almost instantly, though only the beautiful purple mane of the Rider could still be seen as she stepped out with a loud laugh.

And just as expected, Archer’s shit eating grin made Crio clench his teeth.

“Do not say a single word…”.

“Me? Oh, of course not. I won’t say a thing.”.

“Good.”.

“Though I did not know you and her were in a relationship.”.

“…I swear I will kill you one of these days, Archer!”.

“I highly doubt that.”.

No matter where, Crio and Archer never got along.

And the nervous laughter of the girls quickly died down once Crio turned his head around.

A glare, full of malice and gruesome intent. One thought they could see how they were already tearing into the Archer’s body and their own.

And suddenly, it grew quiet with all attention back on the tv. Not a word fell, only the silent drops of sweat.

Shirou had not uttered a word at all, only drying the plates, but couldn’t help notice Crio’s defeated expression. “She teases you a lot.”. “It is worse with Medea around.”, Crio sighed as memories returned of a certain incident.

Heracles rushing around town in a hurry, nearly squashing Medusa and Medea before he pulled both out of the way, unfortunately landing on the rather large scar on his back.

Illya had gotten an earful later for sending her Berserker Servant of all people on an errant.

“Still, thinking back on when we met you, you never spoke greek before.”, Shirou noted, laying another plate down to dry. “You say ‘stamata’ a lot. Does that mean…”. “Stop it. That is what it means…”, Crio explained with a melancholic smile.

The drops on the plates falling towards the sink resembled the rain of that day so much.

The day he vowed to never speak a word again that gave away his homeland.

Yet two women were able to get him to speak again.

Giving it to Shirou to dry, Crio chuckled with close eyes as he grabbed the last one. “You are right. Strange how much people around you can change you.”.

Cup lifted to her lips, Artoria silently smiled.

Crio’s shock upon hearing who they where was still burned in her mind, more so when he was taught who Medusa was.

One of two women who changed him to his core.

**Author's Note:**

> Watching through Hollow Ataraxia, I couldn't help but notice how Medusa can be such a tease at times with Shirou already XD
> 
> I could only imagine with a greek that expected a snake woman monster, seeing Medusa for the first time is mind blowing. And that she'd use times and times again to tease the guy. 
> 
> I can barely wait for the third heaven's feel movie.


End file.
